Antique Box Treasures

Author: Fang Binghai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The culture of Chinese casket art has a long history and rich connotations. However, ancient caskets were mostly made of bamboo and wood, which are prone to decay. Before the Song and Yuan dynasties, ancient caskets, except for those in museums, are difficult to preserve. Discussing the lacquered caskets of the Qin and Han dynasties or the cage and basket caskets of the Tang and Song dynasties in a general manner offers little benefit to beginners. Therefore, I have chosen to focus on the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Ming and Qing dynasties are not far from our time. The ancient residences of Huizhou are densely packed, and the Ming and Qing furniture in the halls remains sturdy. The ancient caskets of the Ming and Qing dynasties were originally small items of Ming and Qing furniture, but they often show great artistry in small size. Their craftsmanship in carving, inlaying, copper overlay, and jade decoration is particularly outstanding, or their ingenious hidden mechanisms are fascinating. This book selects over a hundred Ming and Qing caskets from my collection to delight the readers. The intention is to cast a stone to attract jade, hoping that fellow enthusiasts can point out mistakes and offer valuable insights.